Slow life in the tower

Chapter Four - Slow Life In The Tower

"W...why are you here?!" Princess Elenor exclaimed, pointing at Lady Rosalind, who stood before her across the hall from her room.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't a wife be in her own home?" Lady Rosalind retorted. She was wearing a deep V-neck blue satin nightgown laced on the sides, revealing her ample bosom and curvaceous hips and thighs.

"But you are not his wife, you over-plump sex doll!" responded Princess Elenor, who wore a plain purple nightgown reaching down to her lower legs, covering herself more conservatively but still displaying the shape of her figure.

"Who are you calling an over-plump sex doll? You overly strong guerrilla princess!" Lady Rosalind said, her eyes flaring up with fiery passion, and the princess responded in kind.

As tension flared between Princess Elenor and Lady Rosalind, the atmosphere in the hall grew charged with animosity. Elenor's cheeks flushed with indignation, but before she could respond, the third door opened and out walked Princess Alexandra in an almost childlike manner.

She wore a polka-dot lace-trimmed tank top and a short pajama set. She carried a dragon-shaped teddy bear while rubbing her eyes with her free hand.

"You two sure are noisy this morning. I'm glad to see you are getting along. I didn't know my dear sister had more friends," the younger princess said as she walked between the two noble ladies and towards the bathing areas.

Princess Alexandra chuckled as she hugged the dragon bear closer to her, a mischievous grin on her face. "It's a Good thing Sir Olorun isn't in his room, or you two would have woken him up with your friendly banter!"

"How do you know that?" Both Lady Rosalind and Princess Elenor simultaneously asked.

Princess Alexandra chuckled again, her grin widening. "I had a late-night study session with him, learning the basics of magic," she revealed nonchalantly before entering the bathing area.

The tension between Princess Elenor and Lady Rosalind simmered as Princess Alexandra diffused the situation with her casual demeanor and playful demeanor.

"Guess we know where all the cuteness of the royal family went, seeing how the older sister looks like a guerrilla," said Lady Rosalind, turning away and heading towards the stairs.

As Lady Rosalind exited, Princess Elenor took a deep breath, trying to calm herself after her exchange with Lady Rosalind. She glanced in the direction of Princess Alexandra, who was already disappearing into the bathing area, and shook her head with a small smile.

With a heavy sigh, Princess Elenor returned to her room, feeling a weight upon her shoulders that even skipping breakfast couldn't alleviate. As she sank onto her bed, exhaustion tugged at her eyelids, yet her mind refused to settle. Thoughts of her younger sister and the enigmatic sorcerer lingered.

"I need to hit something now..." the princess said before climbing back out of bed and heading back out her bedroom door.

Before the raven-haired princess stood a massive fire elemental, which towered over the entire training area. It was a towering inferno of raging flames that danced and flickered with intensity within its ever-shifting form. Tendrils of flame twisted and writhed like serpents in the wind. The core of its being pulsed with searing heat, radiating waves of intense warmth that could be felt even from a considerable distance.

Princess Elenor smiled confidently as she gazed up at the imposing figure before her. Her armor gleamed under the morning sun, and her weapons were ready in her hands. "Come at me," the princess taunted.

The fire elemental roared, its mouth stretching wide open as a searing beam of heat gathered around it before shooting off toward the princess. The beam was five times the size of the princess. The muscles in her legs bulged just as she lept up into the air, directly towards the towering creature.

As Princess Elenor soared through the air with a graceful arc, she twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the searing beam of heat that surged toward her. As she approached the creature, her swords flashed as she launched a flurry of strikes at the elemental's towering form, hitting only the more solid parts of its body.

The fire elemental roared in response to Princess Elenor's onslaught, its flames billowing and crackling with fury. It swung its massive, fiery limbs at her, but she darted and weaved, narrowly avoiding each blazing strike. Princess Elenor moved like lightning, her feet barely touching the ground as she darted around the creature, launching attack after attack. Her blades sliced through the flames, sending embers and cinders flying into the air.

The elemental growled and roared as the princess pressed on with her ****, its fiery form becoming more wild and feral with each passing second. It swung its fiery limbs with abandon as it tried to hit the princess, but her agile form was a blur as she evaded the fiery blows. The elemental's form was beginning to crumble as Princess Elenor continued her relentless ****.

The creature's raging orm finally collapsed into ashes as the princess leaped back to avoid the falling debris. Her chest heaved from the exertion as she stared at the pile of ash before her, a satisfied grin on her face.

As the last embers of the fire elemental flickered and faded away, Princess Elenor lowered her swords and, with a single movement, returned the blade to its sheath. The sound of clapping coming from the other side of the training area.

Turning towards the sound of clapping, Princess Elenor saw Princess Alexandra standing there, a look of admiration on his face.

"Yay, amazing sister! You beat that huge creature of fire like it was nothing," The younger princess praised, mimicking her sister's sword-swinging movements playfully.

Princess Elenor smiled at her younger sister's enthusiasm, feeling warmed at the praise. She walked over to Princess Alexandra.

"Thanks, Alexandra," Elenor said replied. "So, what brings you here?"

"You've been fighting these elementals all morning and skipped lunch and breakfast. I was worried, so I came to see what was wrong." The younger sibling replied.

Princess Elenor chuckled softly, looking away from her younger sister. "I'm fine, Alexandra. Just had a lot on my mind, that's all."

Princess Alexandra's expression turned serious, her eyes searching her sister's face. "Is it about Sir Olorun?"

Elenor hesitated for a moment, her gaze flickering away before she nodded. "No, we've only been here three or four days, so I'm still adjusting to the fact that we are basically prisoners."

Princess Alexandra's expression shifted to one of confusion. "But we aren't; we can return home at any point. We can come and go anywhere we please, even faster than when we were back home since we don't have a whole teleportation room."

"At the cost of the kingdom's ability to push back the southern invaders!"

"We are royalty, dear sister, and we both know that power doesn't come freely, even to us. We've seen it repeatedly when dealing with other nobility—always grasping for more power, attempting to claim one of us as their bride so they can seize the throne for themselves."

Princess Elenor sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I know, Alexandra. It's just... frustrating..."

She admitted, returning her attention to the ash pile where she had fought the elemental.

The younger princess also looked at the pile of ashes, a slight frown forming on her features. "I know, sister, but I'm here to help you. I wouldn't let you be the only sacrifice for the kingdom's sake, but I'm just glad our conception of Sir Olorun has been completely wrong. He seems to be nothing like the stories we were told of him." As Princess Alexandra spoke, her expression turned almost dreamily.

Princess Elenor looked back towards her sister. "I'm still not convinced. Maybe he isn't a complete monster, as we once believed, but he is far from a saint or a good person."

"We won't know until we get to know him better, dear sister," Princess Alexandra said. Besides, Lady Rosalind also seems to like Sir Olorun, so there has to be more there, and what he and the Marquess do for those slaves is definitely much more."

Princess Elenor frowned, shaking her head. "I'm not sure I'll ever trust him, but I can at least respect his efforts to save the enslaved and help them."

The princesses then began walking back towards the tower. "Do you want to get lunch with me?" Princess Alexandra asked her older sister, but the latter shook her head.

"No, I think I'm going to eat alone and clear my head. Thanks for coming to check on me, though." Princess Elenor said, her lips curling into a warm smile.

"You're welcome, sis," Princess Alexandra replied.

In the dimly lit study of the Tower, Sir Olorun sat at his desk, his features partially obscured by the shadows cast by the flickering candlelight. His deep-set eyes bore an intensity that seemed to pierce through the veil of the mundane world. The sorcerer's hands moved slowly as he sifted through ancient tomes and scrolls, his mind consumed with the next step in the direction that the continent of Arcania would go.

"Maybe I should focus on restoring the dead lands or maybe deal with the Empire of Saloris? Then again, how much should I interfere?" Sir Olorun murmured to himself.

With a sigh, Sir Olorun pushed aside the scrolls. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the wall where the solid stone wall started shifting from stone to a small window, letting the sun's light into the study. Lost in his thoughts, Sir Olorun failed to notice the figure that slipped into the study, moving with the grace of a dancer. It was Lady Rosalind, her presence silent but commanding as she approached the sorcerer's desk.

"Sir Olorun," she said, her voice a soft melody.

The sorcerer's eyes snapped to attention, his senses sharpening as he turned to face the intruder. "Lady Rosalind," he acknowledged, "What brings you to my study?"

"I came to speak with you," Lady Rosalind said, her voice smooth as silk. You've been in here since last night. Come join us for a late lunch at least," the noble lady replied.

"Thank you for the offer, Lady Rosalind, but I'm not hungry. There are far more pressing matters to attend to than food."

Lady Rosalind's lips curved into a playful pout, her gaze fixed on Sir Olorun with a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes. "Oh, come now, Sir Olorun," she chided lightly, teasingly. "Even the mightiest man needs to nourish his body and soul, something both food and a beautiful woman by his side would help achieve."

Sir Olorun couldn't help but chuckle at Lady Rosalind.

"Very well, Lady Rosalind," Sir Olorun conceded, I suppose a moment of respite wouldn't hurt."

Lady Rosalind beamed at the sorcerer's words, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Splendid! I will be waiting for you in the dining hall."

The floors of the tower resonated with an otherworldly energy, each level pulsating with its own unique essence. From the Astral Nexus on the first floor to the Sanctum of Sorcery on the tenth/ Lady Rosalind made her way through the enchanted halls first, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished stone floors. Her destination, the fourth floor, also called the Culinary Haven, where any dish she dreamed of could be prepared, as long as the ingredients were there or could be acquired by the elementals who seemed to maintain the growth or acquisition of it.

Upon entering the Culinary Haven, Lady Rosalind was greeted by a symphony of aromas that floated tantalizingly in the air. The room was bathed in a warm, golden light from the enchanted lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

Tables adorned with exquisite linens and sparkling crystal awaited her, each set with an array of sumptuous dishes fit for royalty. The feast was a sight to behold, from roasted venison glazed with honey to delicate pastries filled with fruits from the Enchanted Gardens. Princess Alexandra sat at the end of the table, not touching any food in front of her but instead sitting patiently.

As she approached the table, her gaze fell upon Princess Alexandra, who sat at the end, looking every bit the picture of youthful innocence.

"Ah, Princess Alexandra, why do you sit here alone?" Lady Rosalind remarked playfully, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she sat at the table.

"Yes, he should be here shortly; I believed we'd be dining alone, though," Lady Rosalind responded as her gaze roamed over the banquet before her, her stomach rumbling in anticipation.

A familiar presence filled the room just as she reached for the succulent roast venison. Sir Olorun entered the Culinary Haven. He now wore a black tunic made of natural flax linen with silver trim and two clasps, black cotton pants, black knee-high leather boots, and a black flax linen overcoat with silver linen.

Lady Rosalind's hands clasped together as she sees the sorcerer in his new clothing, "Sir Olorun, you look quite enchanting!"

"Thank you, Lady Rosalind," Sir Olorun replied with a nod, acknowledging her compliment. "You look quite lovely yourself."

Lady Rosalind's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the sorcerer's words. Still, she quickly regained her composure, flashing him a playful grin. "Why, thank you, Sir Olorun," she replied.

"You as well, Princess Alexandra!" He followed up.

"I'm so glad you're joining us!" Princess Alexandra exclaimed.

Sir Olorun took his place at the head of the table, with Lady Rosalind and Princess Alexandra on either side. As soon as the sorcerer was seated, the three began their meal, savoring each delicious bite.

"Will Princess Elenor not be joining us," Asked the sorcerer.

"I'm afraid not; she is still... adjusting to everything." The princess said hesitantly as she wiped her lips.

"Well, let's hope she can adjust soon. I've got quite the surprise for the three of you tomorrow," Said Olorun as he sipped his wine.

"Oh, is that so?" Lady Rosalind asked a hint of mischief in her tone. And what might that be?"

Sir Olorun chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'm afraid that's a secret, Lady Rosalind. But rest assured, it will be a memorable experience."

Princess Alexandra's expression turned thoughtful as she considered Sir Olorun's words, her gaze focused on him, "We've already had a few of those since we first got here, three days ago, I believe."

"So why stop now?" Olorun asked with a small smile.